The Story Behind My Robin Design

By Lorna Syson, independent British designer based in Oxfordshire

My Robin design was inspired by the redbreasts that regularly visited my childhood garden in Warwickshire. That familiar little bird now appears on my UK-printed Robin Christmas card, matching wrapping paper and cotton fabric. On the fabric, two robins sit on a branch, one with berries in its beak.

Shop Robin Wrapping Paper · Shop the Matching Robin Card

From the Garden to the Sketchbook

A robin can make you stop halfway through whatever you’re doing in the garden. It’s the quick tilt of the head, the way it rounds itself up against the cold, or the little pause before it hops down from a branch. Those are the details I enjoy looking for when I sketch.

When I work on a bird design, I pay attention to the outline first. The shape of the body and the angle of the head do a lot of the work, even before I add that red breast. I want the bird to be recognisable at a glance, whether you’re holding a card or looking at a curtain from across the room.

On my Robin fabric, the branch gives the two birds somewhere to perch and carries your eye through the pattern. The berries are a small detail, but they give one of the birds something to do. That’s my favourite part of the design.

Robin Christmas Cards and Matching Wrapping Paper

If you’re putting together a gift for someone who always knows which bird is at the feeder, wrap it in the Robin paper and tuck the matching card under the ribbon. I’d use a simple red ribbon or natural twine so the birds can do the decorating.

• Robin Wrapping Paper is printed in the UK, sent plastic-free and available as a single sheet or a pack of three. Each sheet measures 50 × 70 cm. Choose your Robin gift wrap
• Robin Card is printed in the UK on paper from an FSC-certified supplier. You can add a handwritten message if you’d like us to post it straight to the recipient. Shop the matching Robin Card
  
  

  Robin Cushion – Festive Gifts – Lorna Syson

Robin Fabric for Curtains, Blinds and Upholstery

I love the idea of using this fabric for a Roman blind by a kitchen window, especially if it looks out onto the garden. The small repeat would also suit a window seat or a bedroom chair where you can see the birds up close.

Robin Fabric is 100% cotton, digitally printed in the UK and sold by the metre. It’s suitable for curtains, blinds and domestic upholstery. The fabric is 137 cm wide with a 21.4 cm vertical repeat and a square pattern match.

If you’re choosing between paint colours or making curtains, start with a sample. Hold it up by the window and look at it in daylight and again with the lamps on.

Order a Robin Fabric Sample · Shop Robin Fabric by the Metre

Robin Design FAQs

What inspired Lorna Syson’s Robin design?

The design was inspired by the robins that regularly visited my childhood garden in Warwickshire. The fabric features two robins on a branch, one holding berries in its beak.

Is there a Robin Christmas card to match the wrapping paper?

Yes. My Robin Card and Robin Wrapping Paper are both printed in the UK and designed to go together. You can buy the wrapping paper by the sheet or in a pack of three.

Can I order a sample of the Robin fabric before buying by the metre?

Yes. A Robin Fabric Sample lets you see the colours, print scale and cotton texture in your own room before ordering.